Free tool
Words to minutes
Video script
length calculator.
Paste your script or type a word count to see how long the voice-over runs. At a normal narration pace of about 150 words per minute, a 1,000-word script runs about 6 minutes 40 seconds and a 60-second Short needs about 150 words. Pick a slower or faster narrator to see how the length changes, which format it fits and roughly what it costs to turn into a cartoon video.
Script length chart:
words per minute of video
How long common script lengths run at each narration pace.
| Words | Slow (120/min) | Normal (150/min) | Fast (170/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 25 s | 20 s | 18 s |
| 150 | 1 min 15 s | 1 min | 53 s |
| 300 | 2 min 30 s | 2 min | 1 min 46 s |
| 500 | 4 min 10 s | 3 min 20 s | 2 min 56 s |
| 750 | 6 min 15 s | 5 min | 4 min 25 s |
| 1,000 | 8 min 20 s | 6 min 40 s | 5 min 53 s |
| 1,500 | 12 min 30 s | 10 min | 8 min 49 s |
| 2,250 | 18 min 45 s | 15 min | 13 min 14 s |
| 3,000 | 25 min | 20 min | 17 min 39 s |
Tips
How long should
your video be?
Length follows the platform and the story, not the other way round.
YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok
20 to 60 seconds (about 50 to 150 words) for most Shorts; up to 3 minutes is allowed on YouTube Shorts.
Explainer videos
60 to 120 seconds (150 to 300 words) explains one product or idea well. See the animated explainer video maker.
YouTube stories and history
8 to 15 minutes (1,200 to 2,250 words) is common for faceless story channels.
Kids’ bedtime stories
Use a slow pace: 600 words make about 5 calm minutes. See the cartoon story maker.
Questions
Script length
questions.
How many words is a 1-minute video?
About 150 words at a normal narration pace, 120 if the narrator speaks slowly and around 170 for a quick, punchy Short.
How long is a 1,000-word script?
About 6 minutes 40 seconds at 150 words per minute; 8 minutes 20 seconds slow, and just under 6 minutes fast.
How many words fit in a 60-second YouTube Short?
Roughly 130 to 170 words. Leave a second or two for the hook and the ending.
How long can a video be?
Cartoon Video Maker makes videos from 20 seconds to 20 minutes, which is up to about 3,000 words at a normal pace.
Does the narrator read my script word for word?
Yes. Paste your voice-over and it is read exactly as written, at the speed you choose.
Script ready?
Paste it in.
Get the video.
Paste your script into Cartoon Video Maker and it is read word for word over cartoon scenes in the style you pick. You see the exact price before anything is made.